Mexican Immigrants Make Dreams Come Through With Ice Cream

Carlos Flores went from being a doctoral student in Mexico to pushing an ice cream cart to selling shaved ice out of a truck to being the successful owner of two businesses in San Antonio, Texas that are the first stop for anyone trying to brave the heat here during the summer.

Flores speaks frankly and honestly about his business — that of ice cream, shaved ice specifically, also known as nieve de garrafa in Mexico. The lowdown is this: Flores left his doctoral program in topography in Mexico in 1988. Relatives in San Antonio worked making paletas, Mexican popsicles, and so he and his brother joined in.From 1992 to 1996 the brothers made popsicles, then they sold them out of a cart, then on a tricycle, then via an ice cream truck from 1996 to 2001. All along, Flores told News Taco, he saved his money to be able to open his own business. Eventually in 2001, he and his brother opened up their first business on Blanco Road, then in 2009 his second location on Hildebrand.

Flores said his secret ingredient is that his shaved ice is made from natural ingredients, but you get the impression his real secret is a crazy hard core work ethic. In addition to selling shaved ice, the brothers sell raspas, popsicles, fruit cups, strawberries and cream, corn in a cup and other Mexican snacks and delicacies. For 11 months of the year, closing only for a month after Christmas, the brothers work from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., except on Sundays, when they only work noon to 9 p.m. Oh, and they also take Thanksgiving and Easter off.

Originally from Zacatecas, Flores says no one is his family ever really liked working for others. He’s worked as a dishwasher, in restaurants, installed carpet, and always the goal to save as much as possible to open up his own business. Now that he’s done so — and you should see the long lines at this place during the summer — he wants a better life for his children.

Flores recalls that most of his friends from Mexico went on to finish their degrees to become engineers or lawyers, and he would have liked to, as well. But, now he hopes his children won’t have to work as hard, that they can study and perhaps earn a Master’s degree. Because in the U.S. people with education earn well, and only work 40 hours a week, he said. They have free time.

Check out the video to see more of Flores (who speaks in Spanish) and his yummy, yummy shaved ice. And make sure to watch until the end when I make a fool of myself before the deliciousness of the shaved ice! [Editor’s Note: I’m sorry the video is so rough, I’m a journalist learning to make movies, I’m working on it!]

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD

[Video And Screenshot By News Taco]

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